Mimusops elengi

Botanical Name – Mimusops elengi

Common Name – Bakul, Maulsari (Hindi), Bakuli (Marathi), Sura honne (Kannada), Renja (Malayalam), Borsali (Gujrati)

Distribution – Throughout India

Habit

• Evergreen tree
• Medium to large tree, size differs distinctly depending on geography
• Moderate growth rate
  
  

Habitat 

• Dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests
  
  

Ecology

• Mammals- squirrels, bats, macaques, civets feed on fruits
• Bees, birds and bats feed on nectar and pollen
• Larval host plant for Common Crow and Common Red Flash butterflies, nectar plant for Dark Cerulean butterflies
  
  

Uses

• Fruits are edible, fruit pulp cures chronic dysentery
• Aromatic flowers are used in garlands, for decoration, in perfumery, as herbal tea and as remedy against diarrhoea, biliousness, liver complaints, nose diseases, headache, and their smoke is good in asthma treatment
• Leaves are analgesic and antipyretic
• Seeds treat constipation, fix loose teeth, cures nasal congestion and headache
• The root is aphrodisiac, diuretic, astringent to the bowels, strengthens gums
• Oil from seeds is used for cooking, is used to make paint
• The bark is used in treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, gum inflammation, toothache, gonorrhoea, snakebites, fevers, wounds, skin problems- scabies, eczema etc
• Leaves used to treat headache, toothache, wounds, sore eyes, and are smoked to cure infections of the nose and mouth
• The fruit is astringent to the bowel, good for the teeth, causes flatulence
• Good as avenue or ornamental tree with beautiful tree shape
• Its wood is used for flooring, bearings, doors, framing, poles, foundation sills, railway sleepers, paving blocks, mine timber, furniture, vehicle bodies, wheels, turnery, tool handles, walking sticks, weaving shuttles, toys, sporting goods, musical instruments, veneer and plywood
  
  

Propagation

• Seeds